Triple 9

Deadpool topped the box office for the third weekend in a row, which is an impressive feat for any movie…but it helps when all of your competition arrives with a thud. Gods of Egypt, Eddie the Eagle, and Triple 9 all flopped in their opening weekends, making the continued box office victory of Ryan Reynolds’ foul-mouthed superhero all the more staggering.

There are several big mysteries in the neo-noir thriller Triple 9 but none bigger than this one: How the hell did they get a cast this great to show up for a movie this mediocre?

I don’t think I’ve ever not recognized Kate Winslet in a movie before. But I did not recognize her in the latest trailer for Triple 9. It wasn’t until her name flashed onscreen that I even realized it was her — and even then I had to rewind to see for myself. According to Wikipedia, which is never wrong, she plays “a Russian-Israeli Mafia moll.” My favorite kind of Mafia moll!

John Hillcoat is the director behind The Road and Lawless, which makes Triple 9 an instant must-see. Originally conceived as a starring vehicle for Lawless star Shia LaBeouf, Triple 9 was put on the back burner for a few years before Hillcoat got back to work on it, replacing LaBeouf with Casey Affleck for this nasty little crime thriller. The first trailer has arrived, and as the red band warning promises, things get very, very brutal.